Prince Hisahito Makes Debut at Imperial New Year Poetry Ceremony

Tokyo, Jan. 14 (Jiji Press)–Prince Hisahito attended Wednesday for the first time Japan’s Imperial New Year poetry ceremony, known as “utakai hajime,” at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, reciting a poem alongside other Imperial Family members. The ceremony took place in the “Matsu-no-Ma” hall of the palace, where poems composed by Imperial Family members, an invited poet, judges and selected entrants were chanted in a traditional centuries-old cadence. This year’s theme was “mei,” meaning bright. Prince Hisahito, the only son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, who completed his coming-of-age ceremony last year, submitted a poem for the first time and attended the ceremony. His poem described his delight in observing at close range a blue-patterned dragonfly, Anaciaeschna martini, dubbed “Martan Yanma,” at the Akasaka Estate in Tokyo one summer evening at twilight. His interest in insects, including dragonflies, dates back to his childhood. He is currently studying at the College of Biological Sciences of the University of Tsukuba’s School of Life and Environmental Sciences. At the event, Emperor Naruhito’s poem reflected on a moment before daybreak on New Year’s Day, when he, while attending the “Saitan-sai” Imperial Shinto rite, observed Venus shining brightly in the winter sky from a corridor near the “Kashikodokoro,” where the mythical Imperial ancestor “Amaterasu-Omikami” is enshrined. The poem expressed how deeply he was moved by the beauty of Venus and his feelings as he prayed for peace in the year ahead. “Watching the morning star / Shining high in the sky / I pray sincerely for peace in the new year,” reads the English version of the Emperor’s poem released by the Imperial Household Agency. Empress Masako drew inspiration from her visit last November to the Tokyo Deaflympics, where she watched swimming competitions and communicated directly with athletes in sign language. Her poem conveyed her joy at those interactions and her hopes for a more inclusive society. Crown Prince Akishino wrote about hearing the call of junglefowl in Thailand around 30 minutes before dawn while conducting field research, noting the precision of the birds’ timing. Crown Princess Kiko composed her poem based on a visit last autumn to the city of Soma in the northeastern prefecture of Fukushima, where she watched children enjoying indoor activities during child support programs for areas affected by the March 2011 major earthquake and tsunami that mainly hit the Tohoku northeastern region. The invited poet for this year’s ceremony was Peter McMillan, a 66-year-old scholar of Japanese literature. According to the Imperial Household Agency, he is the first non-Japanese national to be selected for the role. Those who composed 10 works chosen from about 14,600 poems submitted by the general public were also invited to attend, and their poems were recited during the ceremony. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]